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Updated January 5, 2021
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: FY2021 Appropriations
Introduction
(Figure 1). Enacted levels exceeded requested levels in five
Congress generally funds the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
years, and requested levels exceeded enacted levels in five
Service (FWS, an agency within the Department of the
years, including in each of the last four years.
Interior [DOI]) in annual appropriations laws for the
Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related
For FY2021, P.L. 116-260 provided $1.584 billion in
Agencies. Discretionary appropriations for FWS fund many
discretionary appropriations across eight accounts for FWS.
of the essential functions related to the agency’s mission,
The FY2021 enacted level was $59.7 million (3.63%) less
namely the conservation, protection, and enhancement of
than the FY2020 enacted level and $205.2 million (14.89%)
fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats. Discretionary
above the FY2021 Administration request (Table 1).
funding covers activities such as resource management and
conservation, construction projects, and payments and
Figure 1. FWS Discretionary Funding: Requested and
grants to states and other parties. FWS also receives
Enacted, FY2012-FY2021
mandatory appropriations, most of which are used to
provide funding to states. The Administration’s FY2021
request estimated $1.468 billion in mandatory
appropriations for FWS in FY2021. In FY2021, FWS also
received mandatory funding for land acquisition and
deferred maintenance purposes. This In Focus primarily
covers the agency’s discretionary appropriations.
In the 116th Congress, issues included the level of
discretionary funding for FWS, its distribution across
agency programs, and the Trump Administration’s proposal
to provide no funding for selected activities, among others.
In FY2021 appropriations, Congress also considered
requirements for mandatory spending for activities under
the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA; P.L. 116-152).
FWS Discretionary Appropriations
Sources: CRS; data from FWS budget justifications and enacted
From FY2012 through FY2021, FWS received $1.526
appropriations during these fiscal years.
billion annually, on average, in discretionary funding
Table 1. Discretionary Funding by Account, FY2020 Enacted and FY2021 Administration Request and Enacted
(nominal $ in millions with percentage of total in parentheses)
Account
FY2020 Enacted
FY2021 Request
FY2021 Enacted
Resource Management
$1,364.3
(83.0%)
$1,281.2
(92.9%)
$1,379.8
(87.1%)
Construction
29.7
(1.8%)
13.3
(1.0%)
18.2a
(1.1%)
Land Acquisition
67.1b
(4.1%)
10.9b
(0.8%)
0.0a
(0.0%)
Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund
35.7b
(2.2%)
-8.0b
(-0.6%)
30.8a,b
(1.9%)
National Wildlife Refuge Fund
13.2
(0.8%)
0.0
(0.0%)
13.2
(0.8%)
North American Wetlands Conservation Fund
46.0
(2.8%)
40.0
(2.9%)
46.5
(2.9%)
Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Fund
4.9
(0.3%)
3.9
(0.3%)
4.9
(0.3%)
Multinational Species Conservation Fund
15.0
(0.9%)
6.0
(0.4%)
18.0
(1.1%)
State and Tribal Wildlife Grants
67.6
(4.1%)
31.3
(2.3%)
72.4
(4.6%)
Total
1,643.5
(100%)
1,378.6
(100%)
1,583.9
(100%)
Sources: CRS; data from explanatory statements for H.R. 1865 (P.L. 116-94 and H.R. 133 (P.L. 116-260) and FWS FY2021 budget justification.
a.
This figure includes a rescission/cancel ation of unobligated balances.
b. FWS received mandatory appropriations not included here for related activities pursuant to P.L. 116-152.
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c.
This figure includes a rescission/cancel ation of unobligated balances. FWS received mandatory appropriations not included here for
related activities pursuant to P.L. 116-152.
Resource Management Account
The other six accounts that received funding in FY2021
The Resource Management account comprises the majority
support conservation activities, financial and technical
of the FWS discretionary appropriations ($1.380 billion
assistance, and a revenue sharing program (Table 1).
[87.1%] of the $1.584 billion enacted in FY2021; Table 1).
Accounts and Activities with No
The enacted level for FY2021 was $15.5 million (1.14%)
Requested Funding in FY2021
above the FY2020 enacted level and $98.6 million (7.70%)
above the FY2021 Administration request. The Resource
For FY2021, the Administration did not request funding for
Management account provided funding for eight activities
two of FWS’s discretionary appropriations accounts—the
(Table 2) in FY2021. All activities funded in FY2020
Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund and
received funding in FY2021 (Table 2).
the National Wildlife Refuge Fund—in order “to support
higher priorities.” The Administration also requested no
Table 2. Resource Management Discretionary
funding for seven activities across three other accounts that
Funding by Activity, FY2020 and FY2021 Enacted
received funding in FY2020. P.L. 116-260 provided
(nominal $ in millions)
FY2021 funding for both accounts and all seven activities,
though, as noted, the Land Acquisition activities were
FY2020
FY2021
provided through mandatory appropriations (Table 3).
Activity
Enacted
Enacted
Table 3. FY2020 and FY2021 Enacted Funding for
Ecological Services
$266.0
$269.7
Activities with No Requested Discretionary Funding
in FY2021
Habitat Conservation
70.3
70.2
(nominal $ in millions)
National Wildlife Refuge System
502.4
503.9
Activity (Account in
FY2020
FY2021
Conservation and Enforcement
148.3
157.8
Parentheses)
Enacted
Enacted
Fish and Aquatic Conservation
205.5
206.6
Cooperative Landscape
$12.5
$12.5
Cooperative Landscape Conservation 12.5
12.5
Conservation (RM)
Science Support
17.3
17.3
Science Support (RM)
17.3
17.3
General Operation
142.0
141.9
Land Protection Planning (LA)
0.5
0.5a
Totala
1,364.3
1,379.8
Exchanges (LA)
1.5
1.5a
Sources: CRS; data from explanatory statements accompanying H.R.
Highlands Conservation Act (LA)
10.0
10.0a
1865 (P.L. 116-94) and H.R. 133 (P.L. 116-260).
Land Acquisition Projects (LA)
31.3
48.9a
a.
Total may differ from column sum due to rounding.
Tribal Wildlife Grants (STWG)
5.2
6.0
Other FWS Accounts
Sources: CRS; data from explanatory statements accompanying H.R.
The remaining FWS discretionary funding for FY2021 was
1865 (P.L. 116-94) and H.R. 133 (P.L. 116-260).
appropriated among seven other accounts (Table 1), one
Notes: RM = Resource Management; LA = Land Acquisition;
fewer than in FY2020. Certain activities funded through
STWG = State and Tribal Wildlife Grants.
discretionary appropriations in the past instead received
mandatory appropriations pursuant to GAOA in FY2021.
a.
Mandatory appropriation al ocated in P.L. 116-260 pursuant to
GAOA (P.L. 116-152).
In FY2021, the Construction account received $18.2
Great American Outdoors Act
million in discretionary funding, down $11.5 million
(38.75%) from the FY2020 enacted level. Construction
P.L. 116-260 allocated mandatory funding to FWS in
account appropriations support engineering design and
FY2021 pursuant to GAOA, which addressed funding for
construction throughout FWS facilities and infrastructure.
deferred maintenance and land acquisition. The act
FWS also received $95 million for deferred maintenance in
established a new fund, the National Parks and Public Land
mandatory appropriations pursuant to GAOA in FY2021.
Legacy Restoration Fund, and provided mandatory
spending authority for the fund to address deferred
Unlike in FY2020, funding for the Land Acquisition
maintenance needs of five federal agencies. FWS received
account was not included in FY2021 discretionary
$95 million in mandatory appropriations from the fund.
appropriations. However, FWS received $111.8 million in
GAOA also provided mandatory spending authority for
mandatory appropriations from the Land and Water
funds in the LWCF for land acquisition and other activities.
Conservation Fund (LWCF) for land acquisition activities
FWS received $111.8 million for land acquisition activities
pursuant to GAOA, as described in the following section.
and $11.2 million for species recovery land acquisition
FWS received $67.1 million in discretionary appropriations
(part of the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation
for the Land Acquisition account in FY2020.
Fund) in mandatory appropriations from the LWCF.
For more information on GAOA, see CRS In Focus
IF11636, The Great American Outdoors Act, P.L. 116-152.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: FY2021 Appropriations
IF11470
R. Eliot Crafton, Analyst in Natural Resources Policy
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11470 · VERSION 6 · UPDATED